This application is a 371 ofPCT/JP01/00809, filed Feb. 5, 2001, published as WO 01/58978 on Aug. 16, 2001; and claims foreign priority to JP 2000-29496, filed Feb. 7, 2000.
The present invention relates to a resin composition used as an impregnating material, binder, paint, adhesive and the like, a molding material using said resin composition, and a molded article using said molding material.
Up to now phenolic resin has been used as an impregnating material for fiber sheets and the like, a binder of wood flake, fiber material and the like, paint, adhesive and the like, and formaldehyde or formaldehyde donor such as hexamethylenetetramine and the like are used as a curing agent of said phenolic resin.
Nevertheless in a case where said curing agent is used, said curing agent emits formaldehyde when phenolic resin is cured, and further formaldehyde remains in phenolic resin after curing so that there is problem that formaldehyde emitted from the molded article manufactured by molding and curing the molding material in which phenolic resin is impregnated contaminates environment.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a resin composition and a molding material impregnated with said resin composition and a molding article of designated shape which is molded out of said molding material which emit no formaldehyde which emits no formaldehyde when or after said resin composition is cured.
To solve above described problem, the present invention provides a molding material comprising of a porous material impregnated with said resin composition comprising aqueous solution of phenolic resin and epoxy compound. In said resin composition with which said molding material is impregnated, since said epoxy compound acts as a curing agent of phenolic resin, it is not necessary to use formaldehyde or formaldehyde donor such as hexamethylenetetramine as curing agent so that said resin composition does not emit formaldehyde, when or after said resin composition is cured, not to contaminate environment.
In said resin composition with which said molding material is impregnated, aminoplast monomer and/or its precondensate may be co-condensated with said phenolic resin and further, aminoplast resin and/or aminoplast monomer may be mixed in said resin composition.
Furthermore, in said resin composition with which said molding material is impregnated, said epoxy compound is desirably dispersed or emulsified in water and then mixed in said aqueous solution of phenolic resin and it is desirable that said phenolic resin is partially or wholly sulfoalkylated and/or sulfialkylated.
Still further, said epoxy compound is desirably epoxy resin and in this case said epoxy resin has desirably aryl group and more desirably said aryl group is partially or wholly sulfoalkylated and/or sulfialkylated.
In said molding material, said phenolic resin in said resin composition is desirably to be in B-stage.
In addition, the present invention provides a molding article manufactured by molding said molding material with heating in a designated shape to cure said resin composition in said molding material.
Additionally, the present invention provides a molding material consisting of chip and/or powder and/or fiber material in which a resin composition comprising of a mixture of aqueous solution of phenolic resin and epoxy compound is mixed as a binder and a molded article manufactured through molding said molding material by heating into a designated shape, curing said resin composition in said molding material.